Lake City Council supports Police Chief and City Manager under fire

LAKE CITY, Fla. -- A heated city council meeting ended definitively for two employees Monday.

The City Council voted unanimously to support both the City Manager and the Chief of Police in Lake City who have been under fire in the community, and then gave them a vote of confidence to cement their position.

Dozens of people spoke out against Police Chief Argatha Gilmore and City Manager Wendell Johnson during a scheduled city council meeting, and marched in protest, holding signs calling for their resignations.

3 Lake City Police Officers have filed lawsuits claiming they were discriminated against and then fired because of their race.

But before the cases are decided in court, people made their opinions on both sides of the issue clear.

"It's a very scary notion to live in a community that the law enforcement has no regard for our quality of life," said Bea Coker, a Lake City Resident.

"I'm just tired of being beat on and dragged around. That's why I spoke out. She's not tearing people apart, she's pulling them together," said Gerald Ford, a Lake City Police Officer.

Protesters say they won't be silenced by the City Council's vote of confidence.

The Florida State Chapter of the NAACP is planning on holding a town hall meeting about the issue on July 30th.

And many people who spoke out Monday evening say they'll be back at the next City Council meeting in 2 weeks.